Ind. congressional delegation writes letter urging Bloomington mayor to support I-69

Seven of Indiana’s 11 members of Congress wrote a letter to Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan urging him to reconsider his opposition to the Interstate 69 construction project.

Mayor Kruzan and the Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization voted May 13 to not include I-69 in the county’s future transportation plans.

The Indiana Department of Transportation threatened to cut off state funding for other local projects if the MPO does not vote to re-include the construction project in the county’s plans.

Senators Richard Lugar and Dan Coats, as well as Representatives Larry Buschon, Dan Burton, André Carson, Mike Pence, Todd Rokita, Marlin Stutzman and Todd Young, signed a letter  highlighting what they consider to be the economic and transportation benefits of I-69 to the state.

“We all view the 1-69 project as a vital component for securing long-term economic growth both for the state and the Bloomington area,” the letter stated.

The members of Congress said the project is estimated to create 4,600 permanent jobs and between 4,300 and 7,500 temporary jobs.

They also wrote that it is estimated to generate more than $3 billion in personal income growth.

“We therefore urge you to include 1-69 in (Monroe County’s transportation plans) and allow construction to move forward as scheduled,” they wrote.

They emphasized that the plans for the interstate had been in the works for more than two decades, and the project had been overseen by five different Indiana governors. Frank McCloskey, a former mayor of Bloomington, was the principal author of the first federal legislation that authorized the construction project, they noted.

While the members of Congress said they recognized the environmental concerns that the MPO has with the project, they asked the MPO to work with the Indiana Department of Transportation to quickly resolve these concerns and approve the project.

“The City of Bloomington has a unique opportunity to support the entire state of Indiana, and we respectfully ask you to work with the appropriate government agencies to enable this project to move forward,” they said in the letter.

— Zach Ammerman